J&K microscope purchase scam: All accused convicted, sentenced to jail

Ziraat Times News Network

Jammu: In a significant anti-corruption judgment, the Special Judge Anti-Corruption Court Jammu on Thursday convicted all five individuals in the 2004-05 microscope procurement scam in the School Education Department, Jammu.

The case pertains to FIR No. 10/2005 registered at Police Station Vigilance Organisation Jammu (now Anti-Corruption Bureau). Investigations revealed that the accused public officials, in collusion with a private supplier, conspired to purchase sub-standard dissection microscopes at exorbitant rates, deviating grossly from the tender specifications.

According to the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB), instead of procuring microscopes designed for examining mineral properties as per the tender (NIT), the officials approved and purchased an inferior version. This led to substantial financial loss to the state exchequer and unlawful gains for themselves and the supplier.

Following trial proceedings, the court found the following individuals guilty:

Jatinder Kumar, then Accounts Officer, Directorate of School Education, Jammu; Rameshwar Kumar, then Lecturer in Geology, SRML Higher Secondary School, Jammu; Balwan Singh, then Lecturer in Geology, SIE, Jammu; Balbir Singh, then Chief Education Officer, Udhampur; Jaswinder Singh, Proprietor of M/s Cosmopolitan Traders, Jammu

All five were convicted under Section 5(1)(d) read with Section 5(2) of the J&K Prevention of Corruption Act, 2006, and Section 120-B of the Ranbir Penal Code (RPC) for criminal conspiracy.

The court awarded each accused two years of simple imprisonment under the anti-corruption law and one year of simple imprisonment for conspiracy, with sentences to run concurrently.

A fine of Rs 25,000 was imposed on each of the four public servants. The supplier, Jaswinder Singh Manocha, was fined Rs 1,00,000. In case of non-payment of the fine, all five convicts will serve an additional three months of simple imprisonment.